Costa Coffee advert banned in UK for “trashing” avocados

Costa Coffee have got a Latte explaining to do, after a radio advert belittling avocados was banned by the Advertising Standards Agency.

Britain’s biggest coffeehouse chain Costa Coffee was banned Wednesday from repeating an advert that implied their breakfast deals were a better bet than eating avocados.

The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) regulator found that the radio commercial commissioned by the organisation discouraged the selection of fresh fruit.

Why Costa Coffee took aim at avocados

The commercial said avocados would be “hard as rock for the first 18 days, three hours and 20 minutes, then they’ll be ready to eat, for about 10 minutes, then they’ll go off,” before encouraging consumers to head to Costa Coffee for a bacon roll or egg muffin instead for breakfast.

Radiocentre, which clears adverts for broadcast, said consumers would regard the comparison as:

“A light-hearted remark about the common experience of buying inedible avocados when compared to buying an instant hot coffee and bacon roll or egg muffin”.

Why the advert has been issued with a ban

Two listeners complained, claiming it discouraged consumers from eating fresh fruit and promoted an unhealthy lifestyle. The ASA upheld their complaints.

The regulator said the ad breached the British Code of Advertising Practice, which states that comparisons between foods must not discourage the selection of options such as fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. The ASA said in its ruling.

“Although the ad was light-hearted, it nevertheless suggested avocados were a poor breakfast choice, and that a bacon roll or egg muffin would be a better alternative, and in doing so discouraged the selection of avocados.”

The advert, which was broadcast in June, cannot be aired again in its current form, the ASA said. The regulator told Costa to ensure future adverts “did not condone or encourage poor nutritional habits and that they did not disparage good dietary practice”.